1905 - Did you know that the Bernardsville News offices in Bernardsville are actually part of the original Bernardsville Train Station, which was relocated in 1905.

1988 - The Basking Ridge Historical Society changes its name to the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills to broaden its historical support to include all of the areas in the Somerset Hills area including Bedminster, Bernards Twp, Bernardsville, Far Hills,and Peapack Gladstone.

The Blairsden Estate of Clinton Ledyard Blair

Make sure you visit the News Section - the Mansion in May 2014 host estate is the exclusive and privately owned Blairsden Estate - May - M1y 30, 2014 - Click Here for details.

The Blairsden Estate History Video Series

One of the most exciting open house events, the Mansion in May allows a glimpse into the grandeur of the gilded age at the turn of the 20th century. Take a step back in time as narrator W. Barry Thomson and Brooks Betz collaborate again to bring you the Blairsden History Series: The Estate Tour.

All images are the property of THSSH and their rightful owners and cannot be reproduced without expressed written consent of THSSH. See Policy.

Blairsden Background

Out of all of the requests that we receive at THSSH, none measure up to the sheer volume we receive every month requesting additional information on Blairsden, one of the crown jewel estates of the Somerset Hills.

While there have been numerous pieces posted on the internet regarding Blairsden that stretch the truth and invoke imaginations, we will try to put Blairsden into it's historical perspective. While stories of ghosts and ghouls are fun and often used as a draw to teach history, we hope that the pictures and articles from THSSH's Research Archives offer enough to quench your thirst for knowledge about this wondrous estate and how blessed our area is to have such a place.

Blairsden is the name of the Peapack, New Jersey estate named after its original owner C. Ledyard Blair, a prominent investment banker and ambitious entrepreneur who recognized the beauty of the beautiful Somerset Hills area and decided to build one of the largest estates ever built in the region.

Clinton Ledyard Blair, in conjunction with his Grandfather John Insley Blair, and Father, founded the investment banking firm Blair & Company, building their Blair & Co. building on 24 Broad Street (on the Northwest corner of Exchange Place/Broad Street) in New York City. He was also governor of the New York Stock Exchange, a director of Lackawanna Steel, the Green Bay & Western Railroad, and many other corporations. Blair was both Commodore and Vice Commodore of the prestigious New York Yacht Club. He married Florence Osborne Jennings, and together they had four daughters: Marjory Bruce, Florence Ledyard, Edith Dodd, and Marie Louise.

In 1898, workers began construction on CLB's opulent 38-room, Louis XIII style mansion in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey. Blairsden, as he named the home, was finally finished in 1903. In February 1949, CLB died at the age of 82. The following year Blairsden and 50 acres of property were sold for an estimated $65,000 to the Sisters of St. John the Baptist.

Blairsden's Current Situation (2008)

In the 1990s when the Sisters of St. John the Baptist decided to sell "Blairsden," a group of architects, landscape architects, architectural historians, and others formed the not-for-profit Blairsden Association with the intention of raising the funds necessary to acquire and restore the property and make it accessible to the public. Although more than $4 million in public and private funds were pledged to the Blairsden Association for the project, the Sisters, in 2002, decided to sell the property to another entity, the Foundation for Classical Architecture, which has since been carefully restoring the house and grounds.

The Blairsden Association, although not successful in its efforts to acquire "Blairsden," had nevertheless developed what was considered by many to be an effective model for a public-private partnership for such a project. As a result, the Association -- which was renamed the Natirar Association -- was asked by the Somerset County Park Commission to assist in the county government's ultimately successful efforts to acquire "Blairsden's" neighboring estate, "Natirar." The Association was later dissolved.

The Blairsden Estate is under current heavy restoration, and the owners are very private. The owners hope that everyone respects their privacy. THSSH will continue to follow up on its progress and hope that this historic estate is fully restored and shines once again.

Here are a few excerpts written about Blairsden

Marjorie Bruce Blair Weds William Clark at Blairsden
(1913 description about the grounds)New York Times - September 21, 1913

"Perhaps the most unique feature of Blairsden is the driveway entrance at the end of the two and a half story brick and stone structure, covering a very considerable space. and equipped with every modern convenience and luxury. This driveway entrance is in the shape of a parallelogram several hundred feet in length by two hundred in width.

In the censure of the driveway is a deep lagoon or canal perhaps twenty five feet wide, bordered with a low stone coping, and on this coping are huge stone vases which yesterday were filled with goldenrod, and some with purple asters. Between this canal on which snow white swans swam, is close clipped green turf with box trees with their ball like tops and also maple trees next the roadway on either side.

Blairsden has been built about ten years and many art treasures, tapestries, paintings. statuary and antique furniture have been added. The grounds are rich in shrubbery and trees and here and there marbles and stone figures, gray with age show among the foliage

The view from the drawing room library and other rooms among the terraced front out over the Somerset Hills and down the Peapack valley is beautiful.

Another unique feature of the grounds Is the series of canal like waterway's rising one above the other along the rising roadway near the house. This waterway is arranged in a series or narrow lock canals, each waterway of perhaps fifty feet being a foot higher than the one below. All have the low stone copings so much used on this estate."

Trivial Tidbits

If you have any of your own to share, please feel free to email us: Click HereAlso there is a Discussion Forum on the topic of Blairsden as well... Click Here

Blair actually flattened the highest point of his property to build Blairsden.

Carrere and Hastings were the architect of Blairsden. The firm also designed the New York Public Library, the United States House and Senate Offices ("Carrere & Hastings Architects," by Mark Alan Hewitt, Kate Lemos, William Morrison, and Charles D. Warren (New York: Acanthus Press, 2006).

Blairsden's front reflecting pool was approximately 300 feet long and was the home to two notable swans, Elsa and Lohengrin.

Busts of twelve Roman Caesars lined the driveway entrance.

A funicular railway was constructed up the steep incline behind the house, complete with its own engine, to bring materials up the mountain.

Blairsden had electrical service,elevators, a steel structure, concrete floors, and the latest heating and cooling technologies.

It was noted that every Thursday, a "Clock Man" would come all the way from New York, just to wind all of the clocks in the Blair house.

The landscape architect was James Leal Greenleaf, who along with the Olmstead Brothers firm, worked at the James B. Duke estate in Hillsborough, Percy Pynes' "Upton Pyne" (Bernardsville), Clarence Mitchell's "Pennbrook" estate (Far Hills), and the Mendham estate of Waltes P Bliss, "Wendover". Greenleaf, as a member of the National Commission on Fine Arts, also worked on the design of the Lincoln Memorial landscape in Washington DC.

Over 1,400 types of roses were said to be planted in the rose garden.

Blairsden held many attractions for the athletic set: Tennis courts, a boathouse, a squash court (basement), horse trails, a horse track, and trap shooting range with its own lodge, an indoor Turkish Bath/pool in the basement aka "The Plunge" (basement) were on the estate.

More than 75 full grown trees with 20" trunks and up to 60 feet tall were moved by 16-horse teams up the hill to the estate.

Members of the extended Blair family became major clients of the Carrere & Hastings architecture firm. In addition to "Blairsden," Blair-related commissions by Carrere & Hastings included (a) the New York City town house of C. Ledyard Blair on Fifth Avenue at 70th Street (since demolished, it was located across 70th Street from the Carrere & Hastings-designed house, now museum, of Henry Clay Frick),
(b) a garden and towered boathouse at Ledyard Blair's Bermuda estate, "Deepdene" (extant), (c) alterations to Ledyard Blair's stable and artist's studio at 123 East 63rd Street in New York (extant), (d) the James A. Blair country estate, "Ontare," in Oyster Bay Cove, New York (extant), (e) the J. Insley Blair estate in Tuxedo, New York (extant), (f) the Blair & Company office building at the northwest corner at 24 Broad Street and Exchange Place in downtown New York (demolished), (g) the house of Mrs. Arthur Scribner (Ledyard's
sister) in Mt. Kisco, New York, and (h) "Vernon Court," the Newport, Rhode Island, estate of Mrs. Richard Gambrill, whose son, Richard Van Nest Gambrill, married Ledyard Blair's daughter, Edith.

The main entrance driveway off what is now Lake Road was over a mile long, and was built just below Ravine Lake Dam, and proceeded up the hillside wrapping around the rear of the house, eventually bringing you up the side of the estate, eventually putting you in front of the 300 foot reflecting pool, thus providing a scenic tour of the estate before you reached the entrance.

There were approximately 38 rooms when Blairsden was competed.

The main entrance doors were made of bronze with 1 inch thick plate glass windows each weighing more than 1,000 pounds.

There were 25 fireplaces each with a uniquely designed mantel.

All four daughters of the Blair's celebrated their wedding receptions at Blairsden (Marjory, Florence, Edith, and Marie).

The original main entrance gate was at the base of Ravine Lake, not the one that can be seen today off Peapack Road in Peapack.

Blairstown (formerly Gravel Hill), New Jersey and the Blair Academy that he endowed, were named after Ledyard's grandfather John Insley Blair.

The Matheny School now occupies what was the Blairsden coach barn and stables.

A great majority of the Italian stonecutters remained in Peapack after the initial railroad project to Peapack was completed, worked on the Blairsden project, and remained in the area.

The coach barn and stables were built by P. Vanderhoof and sons of Newark, for $30,000.

The barn actually had an elevator in it going up to the second floor.

Several carriages and sleighs were donated to the carriage museum at Shelburne Village and Museum in Burlington, Vermont. There is also a Blair carriage at the Staten Island Historical Society, New York, in the Historic Richmond District.

Blair's neighbor to the North - George R. Mosle and his Hillandale estate (Peapack Gladstone)

Blair's neighbor to the South - Walter and Kate Macy Ladd and their Natirar estate (Peapack/Far Hills)

Blairsden c. 1903

The Blairsden Garage

Dining Room circa 1915

Cross hall looking from main entrance. The bronze statue in the center of the room is of Joan D'Arc.

Refelection Pond in Winter

Blairsden fountain.

The Blairsden water pumping station, located at the Southeastern edge of the estate down along the edge of Ravine Lake. The pumping station was responsible not only for water for the estate, but for the many fountains and waterfalls and landscaped pools throughout the property. The actual pump in the station operational today.

The Blairsden teahouse/tennis pavilion.

Ravine Lake Dam - Designed by Frank Stone Tainter during 1898-1899 on the North Branch of the Raritan River - for what was then known as the Ravine Association. Many people still call the lake Blairs Lake, but it was never officially called that. Rumor has it that the first brick was laid the day C. Ledyard's daughter was born. (October 1, 1898- Marjory). The last stone was laid on his other daughters Birthday in 1899 and Marie was nicknamed the "dam baby".

(1950-2002) - Interior shrine image taken at what became known as St. Josephs Villa in Peapack, New Jersey

Timeline

1867

Clinton Ledyard Blair born in July.

1869

Wife Florence born August

1890

Clinton Ledyard Blair graduates from Princeton University.

1890

Clinton Ledyard Blair forms the investment firm Blair and Company with his father DeWitt Clinton Blair, his grandfather John Insley Blair, and his brother James Insley Blair at 1 Wall Street, NYC.

1892

Daughter Marjorie born (August)

1893

Daughter Florence born (November)

1896

Daughter Edith born (October)

1898-1903

Blairsden construction period

1899

Daughter Marie Louis Born. Marise (her name was sometimes spelled Marie and sometimes Marise, a contraction of her two names, Marie Louise) July

1897

Blair and his wife Florence Osborne Jennings start buying tracts of land in what was then Bedminster Township. (Peapack today)

1898

Daughter Marjory is Born (October 1, 1898)

1899

On 2 December 1899, Clinton's grandfather John Insley Blair died at home at the age of 97, owning assets said to be worth $70,000,000!

1909

C. Ledyard Blair is Vice Commodore of the New York Yacht Club.

1910-1911

C. Ledyard Blair becomes the Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. His steam yacht, the Diana was one of the largest of the yachts of the NYYC (254 feet), and was the flagship of the club during his tenure as Commodore.

1912

The borough of Peapack & Gladstone secede from Bedminster Township.

1913

Daughter Marjory marries William Clark, and they have their wedding reception at Blairsden on September 20, 1913. Six hundred guests attend and special train was leased to transport guests from Hoboken. They commenced their honeymoon aboard the 250' Blair steam yacht Diana. (NY Times).

William Clark was a son of John William Clark, president of the Clark Thread Company of Newark, New Jersey, and Margaretta Cameron Clark, a daughter of United States Senator J. Donald Cameron. The Clark family estate, "Peachcroft," was located on the Bernardsville mountain not far from "Blairsden." William Clark, who received undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University, briefly practiced law before becoming a judge. In 1925, at age 34, he was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey by President Coolidge, and in 1938 was elevated to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, in Philadelphia, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

After resigning his judicial appointment, Clark saw Army service in World War II. From 1949 to
1954 he served as chief justice of the Allied Appeals Court in Nuremberg, Germany.

1915

Scenes from the film "Poor Little Peppina" staring Mary Pickford were filmed at Blairsden. Peppina's father is a wealthy landowner who helps send a Mafioso to jail. Seeking revenge, the gangster escapes and abducts Peppina. When a man and a child are rumored to be drowned, Peppina's father assumes that the dead child is his daughter and he makes no attempt to find her. He sounds a devoted dad, he does...

1915

C
. Ledyard Blair and his brother J. Insley Blair are left the bulk of the estate of their father, De Witt Clinton Blair, the veteran New York banker, who died recently. The estate is valued at $50,000,000. (NY Times)

1916

C. Ledyard Blair chosen as Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from New Jersey, in Chicago IL (resulted in the nomination of Charles Evans Hughs from NY and Charles Fairbanks of Indiana for VP) who lost to President Woodrow Wilson. There are numerous discussions in the Princeton Archives about a rift between Blair and Wilson.

1916

Daughter Florence Blair marries H. Rivington Pyne, son of Percy Rivington Pyne on Friday, June 16 in the Chapel of St. John at Bernardsville. Yonnger sister Edith is her maid of honor. H. Rivington was a graduate of Princeton University (1914) and for a time before World War II was the private secretary to the American ambassador to Germany.

1917

Daughter Edith Blair marries Richard Van Nest Gambrill on June 21, 1917. Richard Gambrill bought land in 1927 and became a neighbor to Blairsden building Vernon Manor.

1919

Daughter Marise marries Pierpont Morgan Hamilton on September 11, 1919. They move to Windfall. Windfall, originally called White Cottage, was where the Blair family resided while Blairsden was being built. The estate that later became the residence of Percival C. "Dobie" Keith (Kellex Corporation). Kellex designed and built Oak Ridge, the uranium gaseous diffusion plant at Oak Ridge, TN, which supplied the uranium to the Manhattan Project, producer of the first Atomic Bomb. See Details

1929

In 1929 the bank Blair & Co. was acquired by Bancamerica Corporation to form Bancamerica-Blair Corporation (last trace 1943).

1929

Stock Market Crash -
On Thursday, October 24 1929, panic selling occurred as investors realized the stock boom had been an over inflated bubble. Margin investors were being decimated as every stock holder tried to liquidate, to no avail. Millionaire margin investors became bankrupt instantly, as the stock market crashed on October 28 th and 29 th. By November of 1929, the Dow sank from 400 to 145. In three days, the New York Stock Exchange erased over 5 billion dollars worth of share values! By the end of the 1929 stock market crash, 16 billion dollars had been shaved off stock capitalization. The impact to Blair and the entire Somerset Hills community was changed forever.

1931

Florence Blair, wife to C. Ledyard dies in New York City after a long illness.

1936

Blair marries Harriet S. Browne Tailer

1949

February - Clinton Ledyard Blair dies. at the age of 82.

1950

Sisters of St. John the Baptist buys the Beaux Arts manor Blairsden, built by Wall Street financier Clinton Ledyard Blair, in 1950 for $65,000. The contents were auctioned by Parke-Bernet Galleries Inc., 980 Madison Ave, NY.

1950

Sisters of St. John rename Blairsden to St. Josephs Vila and begin operating the facility as a religious retreat.

Late
1990s

In the 1990s when the Sisters of St. John the Baptist decided to sell "Blairsden," a group of architects, landscape architects, architectural historians, and others formed the not-for-profit Blairsden Association with the intention of raising the funds necessary to acquire and restore the property and make it accessible to the public. Although more than $4 million in public and private funds were pledged to the Blairsden Association for the project, the Sisters, in 2002, decided to sell the property to another entity, the Foundation for Classical Architecture, which has since been carefully restoring the house and grounds.

The Blairsden Association, although not successful in its efforts to acquire "Blairsden," had nevertheless developed what was considered by many to be an effective model for a public-private partnership for such a project. As a result, the Association -- which was renamed the Natirar Association -- was asked by the Somerset County Park Commission to assist in the county government's ultimately successful efforts to acquire "Blairsden's" neighboring estate, "Natirar." The Association was later dissolved. (W. Barry Thomson)

2002

Sisters of St. John the Baptist sell the Blairsden estate in Peapack-Gladstone for $4.5 million to an entity called The Foundation for Classical Architecture. "It was very painful letting go," Sister Damiani said, noting they were filled with memories. Terms of the deal are undisclosed.

2003

Blairsden reaches it's Centennial birthday.

2002-2006

After the order of sisters that owned Blairsden decided to sell to the Foundation for Classical Architecture, the Blairsden Association ceased to be active. In relatively short order, however, after the Somerset County Park Commission asked the members of the Blairsden Association to advise and assist the county in its efforts to acquire the Natirar estate from the late king of Morocco, the organization was renamed the Natirar Association. After Natirar was acquired by the county, the Natirar Association was dissolved.

2007

Blairsden, considered by many to be one of the finest examples of residential Beaux-Arts architecture in the United States, is now in private hands. It is being renovated in spectacular fashion with the guidance of its resident curator and under the auspices of The Foundation For Classical Architecture Inc.

Because Blairsden is private, it is closed to the public, except upon invitation. The same, as noted, currently applies to all of Natirar as well, according to William H. Horton, Mayor of Peapack/Gladstone.